Wafer container cleaning system

Abstract

A cleaning system for cleaning boxes or containers used to carry semiconductor wafers has box holder assemblies and a box door holder assembly attached to a rotor within an enclosure. Upper and lower hooks on the box holder and box door holder assemblies hold boxes and doors as the rotor spins. Boxes and their doors, such as front opening unified pods (FOUP) are both efficiently cleaned and handled.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A system for cleaning boxes used for handling flat media with the boxes each having a door, said system comprising: 
       a rotor rotatably mounted within an enclosure;  
       spray nozzles in the enclosure for spraying fluid toward the rotor;  
       at least one box holder assembly on the rotor having at least one position for holding a box; and  
       at least one door holder assembly on the rotor, with the door holder assembly having at least one box door holding position.  
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1  with the rotor having four box holder assemblies and one door holder assembly. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 2  with each box holder assembly having two positions for holding boxes. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 2  with the rotor having one door holder assembly, with the door holder assembly having 8 positions for holding box doors. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 4  with each door holding position having an upper door hook, a lower door hook, and a door guide. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 5  with at least on of the upper door and the lower door hook having a fork head. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 6  with the fork head having a long arm and a short arm and forming a fork slot between them. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 5  with the door guide comprising an angle wall extending at an angle to a support wall. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 1  with the door holder assembly comprising a left side plate and a right side plate attached to a top plate, a middle plate and a bottom plate, the left side plate, right side plate, top plate and middle plate forming an upper compartment, the left side plate, right side plate, middle plate and bottom plate forming a lower compartment, and with each compartment having a plurality of upper and lower door hooks and door guides. 
     
     
       10. A system for cleaning boxes used for handling flat media with the boxes each having a door, said system comprising: 
       a rotor rotatably mounted within an enclosure;  
       spray nozzles in the enclosure for spraying fluid toward the rotor;  
       at least one box holder assembly on the rotor having at least one position for holding a box; and  
       at least one door holder assembly on the rotor, with the door holder assembly having at least one box door holding position, each box door holding position having an upper door hook, a lower door hook, and a door guide.  
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 10  with at least one of the upper door and the lower door hook having a fork head. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11  with the fork head having a long arm and a short arm and forming a fork slot between them. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 10  with the door guide comprising an angle wall extending at an angle to a support wall. 
     
     
       14. A system for cleaning boxes used for handling flat media with the boxes each having a door, said system comprising: 
       a rotor;  
       spray nozzles positioned for spraying fluid toward the rotor;  
       door holding means on the rotor for holding one or more doors;  
       box holding means on the rotor for holding one or more boxes.  
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 14  wherein the door holding means comprises: 
       a door holder assembly, with the door holder assembly having 8 positions for holding box doors.  
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 15  with the door holder assembly comprising a left side plate and a right side plate attached to a top plate, a middle plate and a bottom plate, the left side plate, right side plate, top plate and middle plate forming an upper compartment, the left side plate, right side plate, middle plate and bottom plate forming a lower compartment, each compartment having a plurality of upper and lower door hooks and door guides. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 16  with each box door holding position having an upper door hook, a lower door hook, and a door guide. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 17  with at least one of the upper door and the lower door hook having a fork head. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 18  with the fork head having a long arm and a short arm and forming a fork slot between them. 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 17  with the door guide comprising an angle wall extending at an angle to a support wall. 
     
     
       21. The system of  claim 14  wherein the box holding means comprises a box holder assembly with each box holding assembly having two positions for holding boxes.